Buyer-beware: Samsung 3D LCD requires two people assembly?

Recently, EVGA launched ELP [EVGA Loaner Program], which is an interesting scheme that allows someone to test-drive a particular technology before deciding on purchase. Under this program, a member of EVGA forums [free sign-up, Ed.] can receive a part for two weeks, submit a review and send the part to the next evaluator.

We participated in a program that allowed us to test out a pair of GeForce 3D Vision glasses as well as a 22" 120 Hz Samsung monitor. Just like the program, we had two weeks to test this out and after that, send it out to the next one – expect a review in this coming week. The glasses and the nVidia Infra-Red emitter worked flawlessly. The next part was hooking up the Samsung 2233Rz with a dual-link DVI cable. The first frustration with this monitor, was putting it together. We had the Samsung instructions that came on the box as well as the quick start manual but neither showed us how hard it would be to attach the stand.

Samsung’s instructions… all understandable and simple… in theory.

After about 20 minutes of fumbling around I managed to figure out that I had to manhandle the thing to put it together. Yes, one does need to put a substantial amount of force, we would put a fair judgment and said around 15 kg of pressure was needed. And so, 2 weeks passed while fully enjoying 3D gaming and movies, blindly forgetting that this thing has to be taken apart and shipped out.

Well, that day came today and it was not pleasant. First, I took the first part of the stand, which was the base and that was very easy. Then it was time for the upright section of the stand which was attached to the monitor itself. I looked at the instructions provided on the box again, and once again they made it look like a "one man’s hand job". Sadly – only in theory.

I realized that it would require quite a bit of force but as I applied force greater than one needed to put the stand in its position, I started to think I might break the monitor – hearing plastic squeal is never a good idea. So I stopped and called Samsung. Thankfully, they were open and I was able to get to their support line, and after getting escalated to level 2 support I was able to get a straight answer – you won’t like this one.

We were told that it is required to have two people in order to separate the monitor and the stand. One person would have to pull on the actual monitor while the other pulled on the stand. First thought was Laurel and Hardy.

But, the instructions didn’t stop at "oh, you need two people". On top of this, one would have to wrap the monitor in a towel in order to keep it from getting scratched. I could not help but laugh at the guy over the phone, as that was the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my entire life dealing with computers and monitors.

After that, I realized that I had to get this thing apart quickly and that nobody was home to help me. So I pondered and pondered and basically came to this conclusion (pic). It was quite quick and easy, and required significantly less effort and pain. And Samsung may want to even include a drawn image of that with their monitors so that people know how to take it apart ;). On the picture above one can se how how we ultimately did it – no towels or two people manhandling a 22" display… soft socks, one sofa and a lot of force.

Editor’s take

While talking with Anshel and reading this story, I could not believe what my eyes are seeing. IT industry and computers are all about simplicity and enabling us to be quick and efficient. Even if you take the most complex computer, featuring water-cooling, multi-graphics cards etc. – you will still assembly it in a single afternoon. Going through this only reminded us that Consumer Electronics industry, with all of its proprietary crap [yes, I am using the word that describes feces] will have to standardize in the world of computers. Unfortunately, Samsung brought the worst CE "features" to the world of computers. If this display was heavy, if we were talking about 15 or 20 kilo 30" display, all would be forgotten. Samsung, this is a 7 kilogram computer monitor. Stop messing around!

This is a FAIL of epic proportions and will do nothing else but confuse the consumer who paid $599 for your "3D bundle" product.